Man City 2-3 Spurs (Gundogan 33′, Mahrez 90+2 (pen) | Kulusevski 4′, Kane 60′, Kane 90+5)
Harry Kane scored twice and delivered one of the all-time great Premier League performances as Tottenham stunned Manchester City, the club that had tried to prise him away last summer.
Spurs came into the game in poor form following back-to-back home defeats against Southampton and Wolves but took a surprise early lead through Dejan Kulusevski on his first start for the club. Kane’s superb first-time pass released Son Heung-min who unselfishly squared to the winger to tap into an empty net.
Kulusevski became the first Swedish player to score for the club since Erik Edman’s memorable long-range thunderbolt against Liverpool at Anfield in April 2005.
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Football and rugby matches cancelled across Britain as Storm Eunice causes chaos19 February, 2022Kane has tended to operate higher up the pitch since Antonio Conte’s arrival, but he was causing City huge problems when dropping into his own half, almost sending Son scampering through clean through on goal with another arrow along the ground. “Harry Kane has been like Pirlo!” summed up Jamie Carragher on commentary.
City seized the initiative after going behind and came within inches of scoring an equaliser when Ilkay Gundogan struck the post after being teed up by Raheem Sterling. Both players were involved when City did force a leveller, Gundogan applying the finishing touch after Hugo Lloris had spilled Sterling’s cross into his path.
It was another poor moment for Lloris who was culpable for both of Wolves’ goals last weekend.
And Manchester City are level!
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 19, 2022
İlkay Gündoğan is the man in the right place to side foot the ball home after Hugo Lloris couldn't keep a hold of Raheem Sterling's dangerous cross! pic.twitter.com/aqKstKpl0t
As Spurs retreated further and further towards Lloris’ goal it looked inevitable that City would go in front. Instead, it was the visitors who restored their advantage when Spurs’ dynamic duo linked up again, as Kane volleyed Son’s pinpoint cross into the top corner.
It was the 36th time that the pair had linked up for a goal in the Premier League, equalling a record set by Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba. Moments later, they almost broke it when Son again located his strike partner inside the box, only for Ederson to make a crucial block to deny him.
Lloris then redeemed his earlier error by making a flying stop to prevent a brilliant long-range Gundogan from range from nestling in the top corner.
That second Spurs goal gave them a noticeable lift. Kane, who had previously gone six years without scoring against City, had the ball in the net for a second time in the day by firing past Ederson after Kulusevski’s deflected shot had dropped into his path.
Spurs’ celebrations were cut short, though, when Kulusevski was deemed to be offside following a VAR intervention.
Man City (4-3-3)
- Ederson – 6
- Kyle Walker – 7
- Ruben Dias – 6
- Aymeric Laporte – 6
- Joao Cancelo – 7
- Rodri – 7
- Kevin De Bruyne – 6
- Ilkay Gundogan – 8
- Phil Foden – 7
- Bernardo Silva – 6
- Raheem Sterling – 6
Substitutes:
- Riyad Mahrez – 7
Tottenham (3-4-3)
- Hugo Lloris – 6
- Cristian Romero – 7
- Eric Dier – 7
- Ben Davies – 6
- Emerson Royal – 7
- Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – 6
- Rodrigo Bentancur – 7
- Ryan Sessegnon – 6
- Dejan Kulusevski – 8
- Son Heung-min – 8
- Harry Kane – 10
Substitutes:
- Matt Doherty – 6
- Lucas Moura – 6
Cristian Romero had been one of Tottenham’s best players on the day, but it was his desperate lunge to block a Bernardo Silva cross that looked like it would cost his side dearly. Initially, Anthony Taylor waved away City’s appeals but after being advised to check the pitchside monitor, he awarded the spot-kick that was dispatched emphatically into the roof of the net by substitute Riyad Mahrez in stoppage time.
Incredibly the drama wasn’t finished there. Rather than settle for a point, Spurs charged up the other end of the pitch and went in front for a third time in the game when Kane headed in from Kulusevski’s cross to cap one of the best individual performances in Premier League history.
The victory meant that Spurs, for all of their problems in recent seasons, beat City for the fourth time in the last five league meetings between the clubs.
Kane: That was what the Premier League is all about | Son: Kane is unbelievable
“It was a crazy game,” said Kane afterwards. “We worked so hard for so long and were 2-1 ahead for quite a lot of the second half there and then to concede a penalty in the last minute was heartbreaking. Credit to the boys we managed to find another chance there at the end and thankfully I was able to put it away.
“That’s what the Premier League is about. It was a great game for everyone, the neutrals and our fans will go home happy.”
Son added: “We have a group of positive players and positive guys. We lost three games in a row but we still believed and worked really hard. At some point you face Manchester City and think ‘ok this is the worst time [to play against them] but maybe it was the best time because they are one of the best team in the world.
“I was really sad at the start of the season when he wasn’t scoring the goals and people were talking, but he was working for the team and playing for the team. You could see today that he was working hard too. Unbelievable player but an unbelievable guy too. Working with him is a big honour.”
Guardiola: Premier League title race is not over
“Every goal is different. It’s difficult to defend the second one, especially coming from five to 10 yards behind. It’s not easy. The third one, we defended badly at the far post.
“I said weeks ago we need to win a lot of points, we knew it. Every team plays for many things, for Champions League, for Europa League, to not be relegated.
“Every game will be a big battle and we know that. It will be good to understand how difficult it is. Since October we didn’t lose one game in the Premier League, that shows how good we have done.”
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